A large crowd in front of a stage at an outdoor summer music festival in England. (Alan Morris / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin September 6, 2026 at 8:30am
The death of one man and hospitalization of several others after a sign collapsed at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex, England, led to the premature end of the Christian music event.
The incident, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time on Aug. 28, resulted in the death of a 41-year-old pastor, per a report from The Telegraph.
Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said in a statement that “at least six other people were also injured during this incident and have been taken to hospital for treatment.”
“I recognise the immense distress this will have caused people at the festival, and we are working with a number of partners as we seek to establish exactly what happened,” he added.
Robert Guanco, a husband and pastor, was killed when a sign fell during Friday’s Big Church Festival in England. His wife shared the words their daughter turned to in the days after — here’s what she said.https://t.co/w9ETeDgKyz pic.twitter.com/4CMVxlRQqf
— ChurchLeaders.com (@ChurchLead) August 31, 2026
One attendee said he heard that a worship tent sign blew over and “landed on a few people,” noting that an air ambulance arrived shortly thereafter.
Big Church Festival issued a statement saying they were “devastated by the serious incident that took place,” identifying the deceased man as Pastor Robert Guanco.
“First and foremost, all of our thoughts are with those who have been affected, their families and friends, and everyone who witnessed what happened,” the statement said.
“Particularly with the family, friends and church of Pastor Guanco as they process the immense grief of his loss.”
Church leaders are mourning Pastor Robert Guanco of Eastbourne, killed when a sign fell at England’s Big Church Festival Friday. #BigChurchFestival #RobertGuanco #Eastbourne #EnglandChurch #ChristianPost
🔗 https://t.co/yqJZls2x6l https://t.co/42qFvvNlMd pic.twitter.com/DjhHTHo526— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) September 1, 2026
They ended the event early “for the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.”
“We are working with the police, the Health and Safety Executive and others as they establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement said.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who responded, and to our teams and community for the care they have shown one another,” it continued.
“Big Church Festival is about bringing people together. At the moment, that community is grieving. Our focus remains on those directly affected by what happened.”
The Christian Post noted that the British national weather service had forecasted gusty conditions in the area, including winds reaching 27 miles per hour in West Sussex.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
